Defiant Women of History We Should Have Studied in School

It’s said that well-behaved women rarely make history. That strikes true with this group of revolutionaries. Read on to learn about some truly remarkable historical women!

15. Olga of Kiev

Olga of Kiev was the regent of Kievan Rus’. Her husband, Prince Igor, was murdered by a neighboring tribe known as the Drevlians. To avenge his murder, Olga massacred over 5,000 Drevlians. After a yearlong conflict with the tribe, she destroyed their city by attaching sulfur to birds, setting the sulfur on fire, and letting the birds rain down flames on the community. She was later canonized a saint.

14. Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a seventeen year old French peasant who told Charles VII that visions of saints were guiding her to help him free France from England’s tyrannical rule. She brought hope to the French Army during the siege of Orleans. This newfound hope allowed the French army to force the English to retreat. Sadly two years later she was burned at the stake for heresy.

13. Claudette Colvin

Claudette Colvin was a pioneer for the 1950’s Civil Rights Movement. On March 2, 1955, she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. She was later arrested. This event would inspire Rosa Parks to commit the same revolutionary act nine months later.

12. Buffalo Calf Road Woman

Do you remember learning about the Battle of Little BigHorn in school? Did you know there was a Northern Cheyenne woman who played an important role in the Battle? Her name was Buffalo Calf Road Woman and according to the oral tradition of the Cheyenne, she was the one who knocked Custer off his horse. She also rescued her brother at the Battle of Rosebud.

11. Ruby Bridges

Ruby Bridges was only six years old when she made history as the first African American child to attend a former whites-only elementary school. Her parents responded to a request from the NAACP and volunteered their daughter to participate in the integration of the New Orleans school system. Though she was only a child, she paved the way for the desegregation movement.

10. Madame de Pompadour

She was born Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, but history remembers her as Madame de Pompadour. She was a French courtier who held the title of official mistress to King Louis XV. Not only was she his lover and a favorite at court, but she also served as his confidant and advisor. Even after their romantic relationship had ended, she remained one of his closest friends.

9. Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou may be considered a more modern figure rather than a historical one. But she will surely go down in history as one of the most influential writers of the 20th and 21st century. Her acclaimed autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published in 1969, and she went on to write several more autobiographies and books of poetry.

8. Margaret Hughes

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when women were not allowed to act in theatrical productions in western anglicized culture. The first woman to break that mold was Margaret Hughes. She played Desdemona in a production of Hamlet at the age of 30, and it is speculated that she went on to perform in at least twelve other plays.

7. Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland in 1822. At the age of 27, she escaped and found freedom in Philadelphia. She went on to free close to 70 enslaved people throughout thirteen missions. She helped them gain their freedom as well as employment. Not only was she an abolitionist, but she also worked as a spy for the Union Army.

6. Huda Sha’arawi

Huda Sha’awari grew up in Egypt at a time when there was a huge power imbalance between men and women. And as an educated feminist, she did everything she could to secure rights and freedom for women. She helped lead the Egyptian Revolution of 1919 and founded the Egyptian Feminist Union.

5. Mae West

The iconic actress Mae West scandalized all of Hollywood by combining feminine sexuality with comedy in her films. Due to the sexual nature of her films and characters, she was the victim of Hollywood’s puritanical censorship. But she never let this set-back stop her. In the ultimate power move, she, at the age of 87, played the sensual leading lady in the film adaptation of her own play Sextette.

4. Vali Myers

May we all try to live our lives as freely and as wildly as the late artist Vali Myers. Myers was a bohemian artist and dancer who made a career out of doing, really, whatever she wanted. Known for her eclectic look and art style, she gained notoriety throughout the U.S. and Europe during the 1950s and 1960s.

3. Empress Wu Zetian

Empress Wu Zetian started out as a concubine but reigned as Empress for fifteen years. She is famous for her strong governing style and effective leadership. But she is also known for her ability to take power by any means necessary. After falling ill and being forced to relinquish her throne, she died in the year 705.

2. Ada Lovelace

Early in her life, Ada Lovelace took an interest in mathematics and mechanical engineering. She worked with Charles Babbage on his concept for the Analytical Engine, also known as a computer. By developing an algorithm for this proposed machine, she became recognized as the world’s first programmer.

1. Marie Laveau

Marie Laveau was a midwife who was known for practicing voodoo, herbalism, and rootwork in New Orleans. Of course, it is hard to substantiate any claims of magical prowess. But she was regarded as the Queen of Voodoo in the city. She was also a community activist who provided education for women.